How to check if a Hong Kong company is registered

Start with whatever you have: the company's English or Chinese name, its 7-digit CR number, or its 8-digit Business Registration Number (BRN). A name search is the most forgiving — you don't need the exact legal name, and partial matches will surface candidates you can narrow down.

If several companies share a similar name, compare the registration numbers and incorporation dates to identify the right one. A company's CR number is unique and never changes, so it is the surest way to confirm you are looking at the correct entity.

A genuine registered company has a CR number and a recorded incorporation date, and its status will be shown as Active if it is still on the register. It will also have an entity type — most commonly a private company limited by shares — and a registered office address in Hong Kong.

Appearing on the register does not by itself mean a company is still trading. A record with a status of Dissolved, Ceased Registration, or Amalgamated is a company that was once registered but has since left the register. The record remains permanently searchable for reference.

The authoritative source is the Companies Registry's Integrated Companies Registry Information System (ICRIS). A directory like CRHK Guru mirrors that public data so you can search it quickly and for free, but for a legal purpose — due diligence, a contract, or a filing — obtain the official electronic record or a certified copy from the Companies Registry itself.

Note that business registration (with the Inland Revenue Department) and company incorporation (with the Companies Registry) are two separate systems. A sole proprietorship can hold a Business Registration Certificate without being an incorporated company, so a BRN alone does not prove that an entity is a limited company.